LIHUE —The trial for a Kapaa man tied to property crimes in the North Shore has been pushed back to November to allow for plea negotiations between the state and the defense. Brandon Brown-Ho, 31, was scheduled for a jury
LIHUE —The trial for a Kapaa man tied to property crimes in the North Shore has been pushed back to November to allow for plea negotiations between the state and the defense.
Brandon Brown-Ho, 31, was scheduled for a jury trial this week, but after his public defender asked for a continuance to negotiate a plea between his client and the prosecutor, the court moved the trial date to Nov. 7.
Members of Citizens Against Thieves banded together and worked with police to help get Brown-Ho arrested. Director Bob Warren said he understands that these things take time.
“That’s one of the strategies of the defense attorney, to delay,” he said. “But if there is a plea deal in the works, there should be a reason. There can be other circumstances as to why it’s happening.”
Warren said he worries when his organization puts a lot of effort into getting criminals into jail only to see them released back on bail to reoffend. Brown-Ho is out of jail after posting $21,000 bail on May 3.
Brown-Ho is charged with second-degree burglary, second-degree theft and criminal trespass for an incident in February where is alleged to have entered a home on Feb. 5 in Kilauea, breaking into a storage shed and stealing equipment belonging to the homeowner.
Brown-Ho was caught on video surveillance that was provided to police by concerned neighbors who had been monitoring Brown-Ho’s actions.
Police were able to later locate Brown-Ho behind Kauai Village shopping center and he was arrested.